Warriors Oneshots
by Lupe1o1
Summary: A bunch of oneshots that I write where YOU can choose the theme.
1. Injured

Hey people! This is my first fanfiction. This is the 100 OneShot Book challenge by Prin Pardus. She is an amazing writer, go and check her stories out. Anyways, hope you enjoy it. :)

**Injured**

Snowpaw shook herself, trying to shake the water droplets from her thick pelt. How did Talonpaw manage to convince her to come on this insane journey?

"Come on! We are losing sight of the warriors." Talonpaw's voice sounded almost as grumpy as she felt.

Her only answer was a grunt as she sped up to catch up with Talonpaw. This was exactly why she didn't want to come with Talonpaw.

_But then again, _she reminded herself, _we will be h__eroes if we succeed._

Suddenly, Talonpaw skidded to a halt. Unable to stop herself, Snowpaw crashed into Talonpaw. With a startled yowl, Talonpaw managed to stop themselves from sliding into the muddy clearing where the warriors have decided to stay for the night.

Lightheart, the deputy of Iceclan, pricked his ears.

"What was that?" he asked.

"What was what?" meowed Tawnyleaf as she gathered some moss together.

"Nothing... must have been my imagination." muttered Lightheart.

Snowpaw let out a deep breath. She glanced to her left to see Talonpaw's face contorted into a mask of rage. They crept back to distance themselves from the warriors. Only when they were at least ten fox-length away from the warriors did Talonpaw let out his pent up anger.

"Why did you do that! You could have got us killed!" He snarled, "Do you know how far I was from the nearest warrior? I could have reached out and clawed him!"

"It was not my fault," she said meekly, " you should have warned me before you stopped so suddenly."

"Do I have to tell you everything? You are almost a warrior! Can't you do something as simple as not crashing into something!" He ranted " Of course not! Little Snowpaw has to have everything handed to her. Can't even stop by herself! You know what? Don't even bother following me anymore, you are nothing but a burden!"

Before she could stop herself, she lashed out with a paw and clawed his muzzle. Blood dripped from her paw as she clawed him twice more.

"You think you are perfect don't you!" she yowled, "you think you are always right and I'm always wrong! Do you know how many times you would have gotten lost without me! And all you have ever done was to scold me again and again! Well guess what? I don't need you! I'll find out where Iceclan's camp is all by myself!"

Snowpaw turned her back on Talonpaw and fled blindly into the forest, ignoring the pleading cries of Tornpaw as he begged her to go back.

_I don't need him, _she thought angrily, _I can find out where Iceclan have been hiding by mys__elf_

By the time Snowpaw's head was clear, the moon was high in the sky and Silverpelt was shining down on her.

_Did i make the right choice in following Tornpaw here? Because it certainly dosen't feel like it. Right now, It just feels like a very bad nightmare._

A chill ran down her spine as she stepped into a stream of water. It took a moment to realize that this was the stream that marked the edge of Fireclan's territory.

_I am home!_

It was all she could do from leaping into the air as she raced into familiar territory. Suddenly, she stopped abruptly.

_What about Tornpaw? I can't just leave him alone. He will be defenceless against five full grown warriors. He won't stand a chance._

Torn between two decisions, she sat down on the soggy soil.

_Starclan, what should i do? I want to go home but Tornpaw needs me. Please tell me..._

Snowpaw woke up at dawn, covered with dirt and the smell of damp moss clinging to her pelt. Starclan did not answer, but deep down, she knew that she could not leave a fellow apprentice to fend for himself. With a heavy sigh, she heaved herself up and steeled herself for another day of hard travelling.

By the time she reached the clearing, it was already sundown. Despite a day of hard travelling, she was still far behind from Tornpaw.

_It's no use, _she thought bitterly _After all the effort I put in, I am still a useless kit. I can't even find my clanmate. Maybe Thornpaw was right, I don't have what it takes to be a warrior._

She was just about to give up when she heard a strained meow.

"Snowpaw, is that you?"

The meow made her jump.

"Tornpaw?" She whispered.

"Snowpaw!"

Snowpaw turned around in a circle, trying to detect where Tornpaw's voice is coming from.

"Where are you?" she mewed. Something was not right. Tornpaw's voice sounds all strained and there was a sinister feeling in the air.

"I am over here."

Snowpaw swivelled her ears to where the voice had come from. She could barely make out the shape of a cat lying down in the shadows.

"Tornpaw!"

She raced towards him, nearly falling down in the process. What she saw was something that belongs in a nightmare. Tornpaw was lying on his side in a pool of blood. His belly was slashed open and blood was flowing out of it. What scared her the most was that Lightheart and four other cats from Iceclan were standing next to him.

"Snowpaw," Tornpaw croaked, "I'm sorry."

That was the last thing she heard before the Iceclan cats pounced on her. She let out a wordless wail before darkness engulfed her.

"Hurry! The scent is getting stronger and stronger! We are almost there."

The unfamiliar voices pierced her coma like needles.

_Where am I? What am I doing? I was... I was with Tornpaw, searching for... Searching for Iceclan?_

Snowpaw's head started to hurt just from thinking. Her throat was parched and she didn't seem like she could move at all. Meanwhile, the footsteps were getting closer and closer.

_I must get out of here! They might be Iceclan.._

Suddenly everything came rushing back to her. Leaving Tornpaw, looking for Tornpaw, finding Tornpaw and the Iceclan cats attacking her. She felt a stab of pain as she tried to move. At least she knew that her legs were still intact.

"She is so close. But I just can't find her!" Snowpaw heard a frustrated voice say.

The voice sounds so familiar, yet she could not remember who it was. Even if she could not recognize the voice, it was certainly not an Iceclan cat.

_If they could just find me, they can bring me back to Blazeclan!_

Summoning all her remaining strength, she tried to speak. At first, nothing came out. But on her second attempt, she managed to let out a tiny mewl. Snowpaw hated the sound. It reminded her of being a kit again.

"I heard something! I think it came from over there!"

She heard a rustle of leaves from the right as five or four cats emerged from the bushes.

"Snowpaw!" a bright orange apprentice cried.

"Berrypaw," she whispered

"Don't leave meee!" He wailed.

"Get out of the way, mousebrain." Tawnyleaf said as she pushed Berrypaw aside.

Snowpaw closed her eyes as Tawnyleaf started to examine her wounds.

"You have some serious wounds," Tawnyleaf muttered as she prodded an open wound with her paw.

"I am going to give you some poppy seeds to ease your pain."

Snowpaw obediently licked up the seeds. She gave a sigh of relief as the aching pain started to fade.

"Go on and sleep," Tawnyleaf said gently. "We will carry you back. By the time you wake up, you will be back home with the clan."

Snowpaw relaxed and gave in to the deep sleep.

The nightmares were terrible. Most of it were just flashes of claws and teeth, but some were memories of the argument that she had with Thornpaw. She could hardly believe that the cause of all this was a petty argument.

_If i didn't leave him alone, he might not have been caught. It was all my fault!_

"Snowpaw! Wake up!"

"hrphm?"

"She answered me! She's awake!"

"Bramblepaw! I told you not to disturb her." she heard Tawnyleaf meowed. "She needs her sleep. She is still recovering from all her injuries."

"It's okay." Snowpaw muttered.

"See, I told you!" Bramblepaw said triumphantly.

Snowpaw slowly opened her eyes. At first, everything was blindingly bright. But slowly, her eyes started to adjust to the light. She was in the medicine cat den with Tawnyleaf and Bramblepaw. As soon as she opened her eyes, Bramblepaw bounded in front of her, obscuring her vision with his face.,

"Are you okay?" He asked, wide eyed.

"Of course," she said weakly, "why wouldn't I be."

"Well, because your..." Bramblepaw started to say but Tawnyleaf pushed him aside.

"Hey!" he protested

"You are disturbing her." Tawnyleaf said grumpily, "go away. Do whatever you apprentices do."

Bramblepaw backed out of the lichen covered entrance with a disappointed look on his face.

"I'll see you later!" Snowpaw called after him, trying to cheer him up.

"Now that he is gone, how are you feeling?" she asked.

"Umm... a bit tired; but otherwise, I'm feeling alright."

"How about your legs?"

She stretched her forepaws ahead of her.

"It's kinda sore, but I think that is because I have been sleeping for a long time." Snowpaw said, "I think I can start training soon."

A look of sorrow flitted across Tawnyleaf's face.

"What is it?" Snowpaw asked uncertainly.

"You... will never be able to be a warrior."

Snowpaw felt like she was suddenly dipped in ice cold water.

"Why? Whats wrong?" Snowpaw asked miserably

"It's your leg. It is broken." she said sympathetically

_This can't be true!_

Snowpaw tried to stand up, but her hind legs were useless, She couldn't even feel them.

_I'm injured! I will never be able to be a warrior. Becoming an elder when I'm an apprentice is worse than dying for the clan. _She thought miserably. T_his is a nightmare._

But Snowpaw knew that she would never wake up.

I know this was a pretty dark story, but hope you enjoyed it. I will be trying to upload a story every week. Please review!


	2. Sinking

**My second fanfic. Hope you enjoy it! Remember to review!**

**Sinking**

"Psttt, Poppykit, wake up."

Poppykit felt a paw prod her side. She rolled over on to her side and opened her eyes. Bluekit was crouched beside her with his eyes wide with excitement..

"What is it?" She hissed, feeling annoyed. "This better be good. I was having such a good dream. I was stalking this mouse when..."

"This is more important then some dream." Bluekit said impatiently.

Poppykit twitched her tail, mystified, "Welll, what is it?"

"I found a way out of camp!"

Poppykit stared at Bluekit. A way out of camp? _We can finally see the outside world?_

"What is it? Why are you staring at me?"

"Nothing, It's just that this is to good to be true."

"I know," Bluekit said, "We just have to find a time when everyone is asleep."

Suddenly, a terrible thought occurred to Poppykit. "What if we get caught?" she whispered

"What?"

"What if we get caught," she repeated, "We might not get to become warriors_ ._" _ Or worse _she thought _we might be exiled from the clan_

"We won't get caught," Bluekit said uncertainly, "I'm sure other cats have gotten into trouble before us. And I don't think anyone of them are still apprentices."

"You are right." She said, "We just have to be really careful."

"Alright!" Bluekit meowed excitedly. "Let's go next sundown."

"Sure!" Poppykit replied

Just then, the sun rose above the horizon and Goldflower, Poppykit's mother, began to stir. Poppykit shot one last look at Bluepaw, who was bounding back to his mother, before she curled up beside Goldenflower.

"What have you been up to, little troublemaker?" Goldenflower asked affectionately.

"Nothing much." Poppykit muttered, "was just talking to Bluepaw."

"I have to leave for dawn patrol, have a nice nap."

Poppykit flicked her ear in acknowledgment and felt Goldenflower get up and leave.

The next day past like a blur. She spent the day playing Hunt the Mouse with Bluekit and his brother Redkit. By sunhigh, they were all exhausted. Then they spent the rest of the day sunning themselves in the middle of the sandy clearing. As the sun set, Bluekit and Poppykit scrambled into the nursery, their hearts pounding with excitement, ready for a night of exploring. They waited for there clanmates to fall asleep. Only when they were sure that most of the cats were asleep did they crawl out of the nursery.

"The camp looks so much different at night." Poppykit whispered, surprised, "It looks so much more..." she trailed off, not sure what word would be a fitting description.

"Peaceful?" Bluekit whispered back.

"Yeah."

"Bluekit led the way, keeping to the shadow and trying hard to not make any noise. They arrived at one corner of the camp. A patch of brambles occupied this corner.

"This is it." Bluekit said proudly.

Poppykit looked at it, dissapointed. She did not want to lose half her pelt trying to get out of camp.

"This is terrible." she said, "I am not going through that."

"Of course not. We are not going through." Bluekit said, "Just watch."

Bluekit reached out and grabbed a fallen branch between his jaws. Then he hooked the branch on to one of the brambles and pulled. To her surprised, the entire bush came of. What's left was a hole that could feet a small warrior.

"This leads to the outside." Bluekit said, panting from the exertion. "I'm sure of it."

"You," Poppykit said happily, "Are awesome."

"Well, I try to be." He said, chest swelling with pride.

Poppykit dropped onto her belly and crawled through the hole. Before long, she emerged into the forest . It was astoundingly beautiful. She didn't even notice when Bluekit came up behind her and said, "I didn't expect the forest to be this amazing."

"I know." She said in awe.

The forest was massive. Trees reached towards the sky in every way possible, there were at least ten different types of shrubs in this on clearing. The air was cold and refreshing. This was everything and more that Poppykit imagined.

"Come on!"

Bluekit's voice jolted her out of her thoughts.

"Let's go explore!" he called to her.

Poppykit raced to catch up with Bluekit who was trying to climb over a steep hill. Giddy with excitement and adrenaline, Poppykit charged and ran into Bluekit with full force. Bluekit let out a mreow of surprise and just manage to keep his balance.

"Oh, so this is how it's going to be." Bluekit said, pretending to be angry.

"Bring it on!"

Poppykit braced herself as Bluekit charged towards her. At the last second, she leaped out of the way, imitating the warriors. Poppykit was fast, but Bluekit was faster. As fast as an adder, Bluekit whipped around and swatted Poppykit out of the air with both his front paws. Poppykit landed on the ground with a thump, all the air driven out of her. Taking the opportunity, Bluekit pounced on her, placing his front paw on her chest. "Victory!" he proclaimed.

"Gerrioffme!" Poppykit muttered

"No way!" Bluekit shouted triumphantly, "I won fair and square and now..."

Bluekit stopped in mid sentence when a small speck of white stuff landed on his nose.

"Snow!" Bluekit said, practically bouncing with excitement.

Poppykit looked up in wonder. It looked like Silverpelt was sending these small tufts of fur to make everything look prettier. Soon, it started snowing so heavily that they were both completely covered in snow.

Poppykit shivered. "Brrrr, I'm starting to get cold"

"Yeah," Bluekit agreed, "We should head home."

Poppykit nodded her head in agreement. "Lead the way."

Bluekit set off confidently, trudging through the snow. Once in a while, they would stop to admire the view but they were always too cold to stay for long. After a long time of plowing through the snow, Poppykit collapsed from exhaustion.

"Bluekit!" She called, "We should take a rest."

Bluekit appeared out of the snow, looking equally as tired as Poppykit.

"Alright," Bluekit mumbled, "But only for a moment."

Suddenly, something caught her eye. A dreadful thought struck her. _Are we going around in circles? I could have sworn I saw that tree just now._

"Come on," Bluekit got up, "We have to keep going."

Poppykit reluctantly got up to follow. _No, it must be my imagination. There are millions of trees in this forest. It must have been another tree._

"Hey! Look! It is the stream we crossed earlier."

Poppykit looked up to see the thin stream of water. It looked a bit different with the top frozen over but it was definitely still the same stream.

"I knew we weren't going in circles!"

Ignoring the confused look on Bluekit's face, Poppykit on to the stream. All of a sudden, the thin layer of ice gave way under Poppykit's weight.

"Poppykit!" she heard Bluekit yowl as she plunged into the ice cold water. Water swirled around her, forcing its way into her mouth._ This is it _she thought _This is not fair! I am not even an apprentice yet..._

She started to feel light headed from the lack of oxygen. As she started to fade, she felt someone or something grab her scuff and start hauling her towards the surface. She could not take it anymore. She took a deep breath, but what filled her lungs was air, not water.

"Poppykit! You're okay!"

"Starclan?" she asked groggily .

"No! Its me. Bluekit! Fleetfoot saved you!"

"Are you okay?" she heard Fleetfoot ask

"Yeahh." she managed to say, "I'mmm just colddddd."

"It is okay." Fleetfoot reassured her. "We're almost home."

Poppykit managed to hobble a few more steps before Fleetfoot had to carry her. They managed to reach camp just before dawn. As soon as they entered camp, Goldenflower ran up to them and started covering Poppykit with licks.

"Mommmm." She protested even though she felt like she needed it.

"Get out of the way." she heard Petalleaf say as she reached them. "Help me get her into my den."

Together, they manage to carry her into the medicine cat den. Petalleaf examined her for any scratches while Goldenflower tried to lick her dry. In between licks, she managed to reprimand Poppykit.

"What were you thinking about?" Goldenflower said angrily, "Sneaking out of camp? You are not even apprentices yet. You might have been eaten by a badger."

"Well I didn't. Did I?" Poppykit retorted.

An uncomfortable silence followed. At last, Poppykit asked the question she had been dreading.

"I'll still be able to become a warrior, right?" she asked anxiously.

Seeing the worried look on her face, Goldenflower's expression softened.

"Yes. You will still become a warrior."


	3. Father

**Finally finished this one. Had a little bit of a writers block in the beginning. Anyhow, enjoy it and don't forget to review. The next theme will be a bit interesting. Exploit. Hmmm...**

**Father**

Tawnypaw was shaking with excitement. She was going to be a warrior! _But then again, how can any cat deny me from what I did._ Memories came flooding back to her. She remembered everything clearly.

They were on patrol when she spotted Swiftpelt from Winclan sneaking in the bushes. It was she who quietly alerted Stormpelt. Since tension was high between Windclan and Thunderclan, she was sent to bring some backup in case a fight happens. She remembered that she ran like the wind. By the time she reached camp, she was ready to collapse. She remembered the feeling of anxiety in the air when she broke the news to her clanmates.

What happened next immediately made her sober. She recalled how devastated she was when they arrived on the battlefield only to see that only half of the patrol was still on their feet. For a moment, she felt triumphant when she saw how outnumbered the Windclan cats were. Then, everything went wrong. One of the Windclan cats took her father by surprise. He pounced on him, savagely clawing at Bramblestripe's neck. Just thinking about that moment made her heart lurch. Tawnypaw had run over to her father. Everything else was a blur, the only thing that existed was her father. But she was wrong. Time seemed to slow as Bramblestripe mouthed the words, "I am not your father."

She did not want to believe it. She was in such a shock that she did not even notice that Windclan had won and chased away the intruders. Bramblestripe died shortly afterward, leaving Tawnypaw alone in the world. She was devastated. Part of her was very sad that he died while the other part of her was angry at Bramblestripe because he pretended to be her father.

"Tawnypaw, are you going to lie there the whole day?"

She lifted her head to see Icepaw looking at her questioningly.

"I'm gonna get up soon." she mumbled, all her excitement gone.

"Come on, Tawnypaw," Icepaw whined, "You're not really gonna be so sad the entire day are you?"

Seeing Tawnypaw's expression, Icepaw tried another method.

"Your dad must be proud of you, he is probably looking down at you right now."

The remark only made her mood worst. _It's not her fault that she dosen't know that Bramblestripe is not my dad. I am probably the only one in the clan who knows. Why else have no one told me._

Then a thought struck her. _If Bramblestripe's not my father, who is? What if I'm not from Thunderclan_.

She have heard many stories about half clan cats being chased out of their own territory just because they did not belong. _What if I'm not even clan born. _She could feel the panic starting to well up in her chest. _What if I'm a rogue! _

She slumped even more into her nest just from the sheer possibility of the thought. Meanwhile, Icepaw looked on, oblivious to Tawnypaw's thoughts.

"If you aren't getting up, I'm going to tell Owlfeather." she threatened.

"Don't call him. I'm getting up." she said as she struggled to her paws.

Still mulling over her thoughts, she walked into sunshine.

"How are you feeling?"

Tawnypaw turned around to see Whiteheart behind her, looking at her questioningly.

"Too be honest, I'm not feeling that well."

Whiteheart touched her shoulder with his tail sympathetically.

"Relax, your dad is not gone," He said, his voice full of wisdom, "He is just up there, in Silverpelt. What he really wants is for you to carry on and not grieve for him forever. One day you'll be able to see him again."

_That's not the point! Bramblestipe is not my dad! _She wanted to scream, but what she really said was, "I guess you're right, there's no sense in spending the rest of my life grieving."

"I knew you are smart enough to move on."

Whiteheart gave her one last look before padding away.

"You know, Whiteheart is not wrong."

Tawnypaw had forgotten that Icepaw was still there.

"Yeah, I know." Tawnypaw's expression betrayed her words.

"You know, why don't we go hunting to cheer you up. The clan can't have you all dull and gloomy for your warrior ceremony."

"Sure," Tawnypaw answered half halfheartedly.

Hunting did cheer Tawnypaw. Going through the familiar motions of stalking and pouncing on prey made her forget that the whole thing even happened. Talking with Icepaw also helped. It reminded her that even though her dad is no longer with her, most of the things are still going to be the same.

"Hey Tawnypaw!" Icepaw called.

"What is it?"

"Do you want to have a competition?"

"What do you mean?"

"A hunting competition."

"Sure," Tawnypaw said playfully, "let's meet back here at sundown."

"Let's go!" Icepaw yowled as she race into the trees.

Tawnypaw took her time. She knew that no matter how hard she tried, she could never beat Icepaw.

Icepaw prided herself as the best hunter in the entire clan. Even the warriors have trouble catching as much prey as her.

A rustle in the bushes alerted her. She crouched down into stalking position as slowly moved towards the sound. She concentrated hard on keeping her tail straight and off the ground. She did not want her tail to brush against anything and alert her prey. She wanted this hunt to go perfect. At least when Icepaw comes back with five shrews, she will have this squirrel or whatever it is to show her. A she neared her prey she heard footsteps. It sounded too heavy to be a mouse or squirrel. Her heart nearly stopped. _Could it be Windclan again? _Then she heard her 'prey' talk.

"Hi, Whiteheart."

"Greetings Rowanstar."

Tawnypaw let out the breath she have been holding. It was just Rowanstar and Whiteheart.

"Rowanstar, why do you want to see me?"

"I want to ask you something." Rowanstar said hesitantly, "I need an advice from my friend."

Something told Tawnypaw that this was a private conversation, not meant for her ears. Part of her wants to carry on hunting and leave then alone but curiosity overwhelmed her and she decided to stay.

"What don't you ask your deputy?" Whiteheart asked.

"I already told you," Rowanstar answered irritably, "I need advice from a friend."

"Well I'm all ears."

"Okay, but first I need to keep this a secret, especially from Tawnypaw."

That comment really sparked Tawnypaw's interest. _What's so important that they can't tell the clan? And why keep it from me?_

"Sure," Whiteheart said with a sigh, "I'm used to all your secrets,"

_I didn't know that they were such close friends. _Tawnypaw thought.

"Are you sure you want to hear this?"

"Oh spit it out already," Whiteheart said, annoyed, "I don't have all day."

"It's about Tawnypaw." Rowanstar finally said.

"Oh, her."

"Do you still remember what I told you."

"Of course I do," Whiteheart snapped

"Well... I'm wondering if I should.."

"Tell her who is her father?" Whiteheart said

_They know who is my father! I can finally find out who it is. _Excitement flooded Tawnypaw as she leaned in closer to listen.

"How did you know?" Rowanstar asked, shocked

"It's obvious with the way you are acting."

"Well... what do you think?"

"I really don't know." Whiteheart said hesitantly, "Bramblestripe was such a good father to her. I do not want Tawnypaw to think that her entire life is a lie."

"That's what I was thinking too, but I just wanted to check with you."

The excitement she felt earlier was replaced by the feeling of rage. _They are just going to let me believe this lie. Do they really believe that I would not find out? Well I'll show them!_

Fueled with rage and adrenaline, Tawnypaw leaped to her paws and charged into the clearing. Ignoring the stunned expressions on both tom's face, she pounced on Rowanstar, pinning him to the ground.

"What do you think you're doing?" Whiteheart cried

"Finding out what you should have told me moons ago!" she hissed

Turning to face Rowanstar, she unsheathed her claws, digging into his shoulder.

"Who is my father!" she demanded

Despite wincing from her claws, he managed to keep a calm demeanor.

"Are you sure you want to know?" he said calmly, "It might be best if you just walked away and forget this entire encounter."

Seething with rage, she dug her claws further into his shoulder. "Just tell me!"

"Your father is Dust."

She stared at him for a moment, not comprehending what he just said.

"My father is a rogue?" she managed to choke out.

"No, your father is Bramblestripe." Rowanstar said gently.

"He was the one who raised you and brought you up to be who you are today."

Tawnypaw sheathed her claws and stepped off of Rowanstar.

Rowanstar got up and comforted her with a touch of his tail. "Bramblestripe is your real father. He loved you as much as he would have loved his own son."

Tawnypaw looked up as the sun started to set. "I guess you are right," she muttered.

"Now let's get you back to camp for your warrior ceremony."

"Wait," Tawnypaw said, "Can I make a request?."

"Sure," Rowanstar replied.

"Can my warrior name be Tawnystripe?"

"Of course you can."


	4. Exploit

_Hope you enjoy this chapter. Remember to review!_

_**Exploit**_

Icetalon looked on contemptuously as his leader struggled to climb the Great Rock. Blazestar looked so frail compared to the other leaders who stood proud and tall. With the help of his deputy, he managed to scale the rock. _This... is embarrassing _He thought. _All the other clans must think that we are weak. _Sure enough, all the other clans were giving Iceclan weird looks that suggest that they were pitying them. Trying to ignore the looks of his fellow warriors, he bared his teeth and kneaded the sandy floor impatiently. _Is this gathering ever going to start?_

As if that was the cue, Hawkstar cleared his throat and took a step forward, signaling to everyone that the gathering had begun.

"Riverclan have been doing well. Two of are apprentices have earned their warrior name: Foxtail and Crookedwhisker."

Riverclan leaped to their paws, calling out their name, congratulating them for becoming warriors.

Hawkstar waited for the yowling to subside before continuing, "We also spotted a badger near the clan boundary, we manged to chase it out of our territory but I fear that it is now in Iceclan territory."

"Thank you very much!" Icetalon heard Blossompelt say.

Ignoring that last comment he stepped back, saying "That is all."

"They seem to be doing well," Icetalon muttered to himself, "I wonder if they chased that badger into our territory on purpose."

"I doubt that." He heard Fleetfoot, who was beside him, say. "Riverclan won't do that."

_How do you know that? _He thought.

By then, Tornstar of Shadowclan was already half way through his report. "... and because of this, we have been doing more patrols than usual, just to be sure. That is all."

Before waiting for Tornstar to step back, Echostar stepped forward accusingly. Her eyes seemed to seek out all the Iceclan warriors. "Iceclan have been stealing prey from our territory!" she yowled.

Iceclan warriors leaped up in protest, yowling. Echostar did not attempt to stop them, she merely waited for them to stop. Suddenly the moon went dark. Clouds have drifted across the moon, covering the moon. Terrified, his clanmates flattened their ears and crouched down, staring at the moon fearfully.

_We are a bunch of kittypets!_ He thought in disgust. Looking around, he realized that he was the only one still sitting down normally. Even the leaders were on their belly.

Suddenly, it started raining. Lightning arced across the sky, providing brief flashes of light. Seeing that the leaders were not in charge, Icetalon leaped to his paws, shouting, "This gathering is over, let us return to our dens to wait out this storm."

This seemed to wake up the leaders as they got up and started to gather their clans. The next few moments were a blur. All he remembered was the frantic dash back to camp. Although he also recalled that Petalflower, the medicine cat, was looking a bit grim. _Well who wouldn't be, _he thought _we were just chased out of the gathering by Starclan._

After reaching camp, he gave himself a quick shake to shake of some water before he headed for his den. Ignoring the questions from his clanmates, he settled into his nest and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p><em>Everything was dark. Trees were pitch black and they cast unnatural shadows. Talonclaw shivered as a chill ran down his spine. This is not Iceclan territory! Panic started to set in. <strong>What if I can never go back to Iceclan? What is this place? <strong>A rustle in the bushes startled him. He whirled around, trying to detect what made the sound._

"_Is there anyone there?" He called timidly. _

_From the gloom, a giant cat emerged. He was huge! He couldn't really make out his features but Icetalon knew that he was a formidable opponent. **He might be strong **he thought **but he is nothing that I can't beat**._

_Preparing himself, Icetalon crouched down, baring his teeth and unsheathing his claws. _

"_Stop, I'm a friend." _

_Icetalon stopped his attack just in time. He was just about to pounce. _

"_Who are you?" He asked cautiously_

"_I'm Tigerstar, and I'm here to help you."_

"_Whe..where am I."_

"_You are in the dark forest."_

"_Why am I here?"_

"_Stop with your childish questions!" Tigerstar snapped. "We have more important things to discuss."_

"_Important?"_

_A sly smirk crawled on to his face. "Yes, more important things. Like making you the leader of Iceclan."_

_Leader of Iceclan? Who wouldn't want to be leader. It sounded good but Icetalon could not shake the feeling of being tricked._

"_What if I don't want to be leader?" Icetalon asked._

_The pleasant smile on Tigerstar's face was instantly replaced by a look of anger. With a growl, the massive tabby leaped on Icetalon, pinning him to the ground with a paw on his throat._

"_It was not a question."_

"_O..okay," he stuttered, "Tell me what to do."_

"_Listen carefully so I don't have to repeat myself."_

* * *

><p>"Icetalon! Are you okay."<p>

Icetalon woke up, feeling exhausted. He sat up, feeling very weak.

"Icetalon! Are you okay!"

He turned around to see Cloverleaf looking at him with pity.

"What's wrong?" He snapped

"Well.. you are bleeding."

Only then did he feel a sharp pain in his shoulder. Everything came rushing back to him. It felt like he spent an entire moon in the dark forest. This is perfect! He realised.

"Umm.. Cloverleaf?"

"What is it?"

"Can you meet me by the half rock at sundown? I need your advice as a friend, not as a deputy."

"Uh sure. I guess I'll see you later. Don't forget to get your wound checked by Poppyheart," She said as she walked out of the den.

_This is going perfectly. It's only a matter of time before I become leader._

By the time he reached the half rock, Cloverleaf was already there. He dipped his head in greeting and side, "Hi, come with me."

"What is it you want to ask me?" she asked as they walked

"It's about Blazestar."

"What about him?" she asked curiously.

"I wonder how long he still has."

"Yeah," she said with a sigh, "Sometimes he seems so weak."

"I know, I think it is about time he retired."

Her eyes widened. "You mean that I should take over?"

"No. I am going to take over."

Cloverleaf stopped abruptly in her tracks. "What do you mean?"

"Do you remember Bramblepelt?"

"No."she whispered

"You don't?" he asked coldly. "Don't you remember the the times you spent together, walking together by the lakeside at night?"

"That was a long time ago. I don't love that Riverclan cat anymore!" Cloverleaf said tearfully, "What's done is done!"

"I don't think that's how your clanmates will see it." Icetalon smirked, enjoying every moment of this.

"They won't find out." She said desperately, "No one will."

"No, they won't find out, if you step down."

"I can't do that!" she said, horrified.

"You can and you will. Not only that, you will also recommend me as the deputy."

"I won't do that. I would rather die than help you!" Cloverleaf crouched down, unsheathing her claws.

Quick as an adder, Icetalon pounced on her, not giving her any chance for retaliation. Pummeling her with his forepaws, he left her dazed on the ground.

"I give up!" she managed to utter as she slumped, all the fight was gone from her.

Backing away from her, he sat down, grooming his chest fur that got ruffled from the fight. "What will you do, Cloverleaf?"

"I will.." she said, trying to get up, "Step down as a deputy."

"And...?"

"And I will make sure that you become the deputy."

"Thank you. You are a good friend, Cloverleaf."

She padded a few steps before turning around. "I don't even know who you are anymore."

As Cloverleaf headed back to camp, he sat down. _Honestly I don't know who I am anymore either. _

Shaking the thoughts from his head, he wandered through the forest. _One down, one more to go._

_Now where was that fox trap I saw just now?_

* * *

><p>"Why do you want to see me?" Blazestar asked.<p>

"I need to ask you something." Icetalon said

"What is it?"

"Who have you decided to be your deputy?"

The look of surprise was evident on his face. "How did you know that Cloverleaf is retiring?"

"She told me herself."

"Really?" he mused, "I didn't know she told anyone."

_You don't know a lot of things._

"So, who is going to be the next deputy?" Icetalon asked, pretending to be curious

"You are."

"Me?" He said, feigning surprise

"Yes, I think you will do good for your clan."

Icetalon bowed his head. "Thank you. I will do my best to serve the clan."

"I know you will."

"You know, I think I will do my first good deed for the clan."

"What is it?"

"Getting rid of you." Icetalon bumped into Blazestar, causing him to fall on to the concealed trap. Ignoring the last few desperate cries for help from Blazestar, Icetalon slowly padded back to camp.

_Thank you Tigerstar_


	5. BoredArt of Conversation

**This has been a very difficult chapter to write so I have decided to clump two themes together. I will probably not be able to post as often as I like because I have suddenly become very busy with school and stuff. I will also be working more on Warriors: Deception in my free time so don't expect too many One shots. Well anyways, read and review!**

_**Bored / Art of Conversation**_

Splashpaw cast his eyes up towards the clouds. He used to be happy and content with his life. But now, ever since the great battle, everything just seemed to pass by so quickly. The warriors were too busy rebuilding their camp which have been destroyed by the battle. It felt like he has nothing to do for the clan. _Of course Bravepaw had to leave me too _He thought _He just had to be a hero and leave me behind to be the only apprentice. _Splashpaw sank to the ground with a sigh. It's not as if his life was bad. He has a caring mother and father, he has his own close friends and he does not get into trouble very often. In fact his life was pretty good. Aside from the fact that he was the only apprentice. _It's just that I feel so bored _he wailed inwardly _I can't help the clan. Everytime I try, I somehow end up messing something up! It is so frustrating! _

"Hey Splashpaw!"

"Hi Braveheart." He said, too busy with his thoughts to bother to turn around.

"What are you doing?" He asked inquisitively.

"Nothing," he replied, "What are you doing here anyway, don't you have something important to do?"

"No, I already did my part for today," Braveheart said, sounding a bit hurt from the tone of his voice, "I just thought that we can go hunting again. Just like old times."

Turning around, Splashpaw noticed that Braveheart was looking at him hopefully. _Well, it's not like I have anything else to do. Everyone is too busy rebuilding the clan to notice me._

"Sure, I'm glad that you have not forgotten me."

"I would never forget you, you have and always will be my best friend."

"Even though I'm still an apprentice?"

"Yes, even if you are still an apprentice."

Splashpaw prowled through the grass, occasionally sweeping his head from side to side to try to detect prey. _Well at least hunting is something to do. _Even though Splashpaw has done this hundreds of times, hunting has never gotten old for him. A rustle in the bush alerted him. Splashpaw crouched even lower, trying to hide his bright orange pelt in the tall grass. Suddenly, a squirrel scurried out of the bushes and started to head for a tree. Without any time to think, Splashpaw acted solely on instinct. He burst out of the grass, racing full speed towards the squirrel. It was over in a second. Splashpaw pounced on the squirrel just as it reached the tree, ending its life. Whispering a prayer of thanks to Starclan, Splashpaw buried his catch. _I wish that life can be that easy_

By the end of the day, Splashpaw have caught to mice and three squirrels. An impressive hunt, especially for an apprentice.

"Are you feeling better?" Braveheart asked.

"just a little bit."

Braveheart stopped abruptly, turning around to face him. "I'm sick of this."

"Sick of... what?" Splashpaw asked, confused.

"Of you always saying that you are bored and stuff. You know what? I don't think you are bored at all. A bored cat dosen't stay in camp all day. A bored cat would go out of camp and do something. I think you are just upset and depressed that I became a warrior before you. You just can't get over the fact that you are not as good as me!" Braveheart ranted.

Now it was Splashpaw's turn to be angry. "I am not upset," he said indignantly, "I just have nothing to do . The only reason that you became a warrior was because you were at the right place at the right time."

"Do you really believe that?"

"Ye..yes." Splashpaw said uncertainly.

"What you really are is a coward. You are too afraid to face the fact that you are not the best. And because of that, you came up with a pathetic excuse that you are bored. A kit could have came up with a better excuse!"

This sparked a flame in Splashpaw's heart. "Take that back," he said, unsheathing his claws.

"You are not worthy of being a warrior. You shouldn't even be a clan cat!"

That was the last straw. Splashpaw leaped for Braveheart, his claws outstretched. Even though he was fast, he was sloppy. Braveheart jumped aside, easily avoiding the blow. Without waiting for Splashpaw to get ready for another attack, Braveheart leaped forward, feinting to the left before striking Splashpaw's shoulder. Splashpaw let out a hiss of pain. _Come on, I can do better than this, I just need to concentrate. _Splashpaw calmed his mind, trying to think of a strategy. _Maybe... maybe this will work_

Splashpaw let out a breath and took a ready stance. "What are you doing, is that all you got?"

A look of surprise flitted across his face but he quickly recovered his composure. "Are you such a coward that you have to resort to mind games? Well just keep in mind that I will not be affected by any of your words."

Splashpaw pretended to think, than called out, "Well what are you waiting for? Hurry and attack me."

A smile slid onto his face. "Very well."

Instead of pouncing on Splashpaw immediately, Braveheart slowly padded towards him.

_Mousedung! I need him to attack me! Looks like I will have to take the first strike._

Despite his injured shoulder, Splashpaw sprang towards Braveheart. Braveheart calmly sidestepped him, as if he has been expecting the attack. But instead of landing on four paws, he landed on two, using his front two to lash out at Braveheart. Barely dodging the blow, Braveheart went on the offense. He ducked under Splashpaw and bit his hind legs, causing Splashpaw to yowl out in pain. Braveheart quickly jumped on him and pinned him with a forepaw over Splashpaw's throat.

"I give up," wheezed Splashpaw.

"I knew you were a coward," Braveheart hissed, "this fight only proved it to me more,"

"I'm a useless coward." Splashpaw said downheartedly.

Braveheart was taken aback by the comment. In this moment, he released his hold for just a split second. But that was all it took. Bracing his hind legs , he kicked out with all his might, sending Braveheart flying. Braveheart landed with a thump in the bushes.

_I did it! _

Limping over to Braveheart, Splashpaw hissed, "Not so much a coward after all am I?"

"No.." he muttered in response.

With a grin of satisfaction, Splashpaw headed back to camp.

_I wonder what I can do tomorrow. Maybe another fight to ease my boredom._


	6. Take your Best Shot

**Boy, haven't done one of these in a while. This one is about Wolfpaw and Rosepaw. Two characters from Deception. Hope you enjoy it! Remember to RR It helps me a lot!**

_**Take your Best Shot**_

Rosepaw looked out from the bushes wistfully as the other apprentices trained. _Why can't I do that? Why do I have to be a medicine cat? I can't fight as well as other cats, but so what? I can hunt just as well!_

"Rosepaw! Is that you?"

Startled out of her thoughts, she scrambled further back into the bushes. Afraid of being caught, she crouched down to avoid being seen.

"Wolfpaw! What are you doing?"

"Nothing! I just thought I saw Rosepaw."

"Why would she be here?" Rosepaw could hear Iceflare getting more and more impatient, "Now get your head out of the clouds and show the back kick again. We are not leaving until you have perfected it."

Looking out from the bushes, Rosepaw could see Wolfpaw give the bushes one last look before walking back to his mentor. _That was a close one! _Making sure to keep out of the way of the training hollow, she sneaked away from the training cats. _What they were practicing didn't look too hard. Maybe if I practice enough, I can still be a Warrior. _Stopping in a grassy clearing, she tried to remember what Wolfpaw was doing. Steadying herself, she kicked out with her back legs, keeping her weight on her front paws. Everything was going well until the momentum of her kick pushed her head over heels. Landing on her back, all the breath was knocked out of her.

"Mouse dung!" she spat.

Getting up, she felt sore all over. _Great! Thornfur will surely notice this. What am I going to say to him?_ Lost in her thoughts, she did not notice someone sneak up on her.

"Gottcha!"

Something heavy knocked her right off her feet and onto her back. Her assailant then pined all her limbs to the ground. She looked up to see a pair of blue eyes staring back at her.

"Wolfpaw!" she exclaimed, "Don't ever do that again. You scared me so much, I thought you were a badger!"

"Isn't that the point?" he asked with a goofy grin.

At the sight of his goofy grin, she felt her heart flutter.

"Get off me you big badger." she said, trying to cover up her feelings.

"Oh, make me." He replied with a playful smirk.

Mustering all her strength, she tried to wiggle free. After a minute of hard wiggling, she still haven't gotten anywhere. Suddenly, she heard a snort of laughter. Looking up, she saw Wolfpaw trying to contain his laughter.

"Whats so funny?" she asked.

"No.. it's nothing," he said, still trying to suppress his laughter.

"Really, just tell me," she insisted.

"Well, it's just the look on your face when you tried to struggle free."

"It can't be that funny," she meowed

Twisting his face into a funny expression he said, "yes it can,"

"Fine," she snapped, "You can laugh all you want after you get off me,"

"Hey, don't be such a spoil sport, I'm just joking." he pleaded while he got off her.

"Well go joke somewhere else, I'm going to collect some horsetail form Thornfur," she said turning her back on him.

As she padded away from the clearing, she heard footsteps following her. They walked in silence for a while, but soon, she grew irritated of the constant crunching of leaves behind her. It made her feel uneasy.

Turning around, she said, "Stop following me! Don't you some warrior stuff to do,"

"No, I don't," he replied, "you are not still upset about that are you? You know as much as I do, why you are the medicine cat's apprentice."

"It's cause I can't fight, right?" Rosepaw said dejectedly.

"That's not it at all," Wolfpaw said, surprised, "It's because you are so good with herbs. Look, even your name hints at your medical skill."

"So, you are saying that I should be a medicine cat just because my name is Rosepaw?"

"No! That's not the point!" Wolfpaw kneaded the ground frustratedly, "Why don't you understand that Starclan wants you to be a medicine cat."

"Why don't you understand that I want to be a warrior!" She retorted stubbornly.

Suddenly, an idea occurred to her.

"Actually, I have an idea," she said

"What is it?" He asked suspiciously.

"Why don't you train me?"

"Me? Are you mouse brained? What good can come out of that? Anyways, I won't do it, so forget about it"

"How about this: I will spar with you right now. If you win, I won't bring this up ever again. But if I

win, then you have to train me."

Wolfpaw's eyes lit up at the word sparring. _I knew he couldn't resist a good fight._

"I accept. Who ever pins the other one first wins."

Rosepaw twitched her tail in acknowledgment before crouching down into a defensive stance. _This is my chance to prove that I'm a good fighter._ _All I need to do is remember what Thornfur has taught me._

Crouching even lower, she started to circle Wolfpaw. Staring at the unblinking blue eyes of Wolfpaw, she tried to come up with a strategy. _Wolfpaw is a bit bigger than me, but that doesn't make me slower! I should wait for him to attack first before I make my move._ As time passed, she started to grow impatient. Wolfpaw was still across the clearing from her, observing her every move. _This isn't going to work!_

"Hey Wolfpaw, what are you doing? Are you to scared to attack me?" she taunted.

"No, I'm just waiting for you," He replied with his goofy grin, "I am giving you a chance, give me your best shot."

_Trying to wait out Wolfpaw is obviously not going to work. I need to try to get him off balance._ Her mind wandered back to the move she was practicing earlier. _And I know just the move to use. _

Sensing a change in his opponents posture, Wolfpaw bared his teeth, trying to intimidate Rosepaw. But that didn't faze Rosepaw at all. _Get ready Wolfpaw, cause here I come. _With a burst of energy, Rosepaw sprung forward trying to catch Wolfpaw with her front paw. Despite the speed of her attack, Wolfpaw side stepped it with ease. Moving to the side, Wolfpaw swiped his paw across her flank. If his claws had been unsheathed, that would have done some damage.

"Is that all you got," taunted Wolfpaw in front of her.

Hoping to fool him, Rosepaw bumbled forward, trying to trick Wolfpaw into a false sense of security. He reared up on his hind legs and brought his two front paws down on to Rosepaw.

"Oomph," she grunted as all her breath was forced out of her body.

Seeing the opportunity, Wolfpaw tried to pin her; but to no avail as she struggled free and rolled to safety. Panting from exertion, Rosepaw tried to regroup her thoughts. _This can't last any longer, I have to pin him on this attack! _She crouched down, preparing to spring. Much to her surprise, Wolfpaw made the first move by leaping over her, trying to get behind her. _Perfect! _Remembering what Iceflare said, she leaned her entire body weight before kicking out with her hind legs. Her legs landed square onto his chest, driving him back two tail lengths. Turning around, she pounced on him, pinning him to the ground.

"I win!" She crowed triumphantly.

"Whe..where did you learn that?" he wheezed.

"Oh, just from watching you."

"That's unfair, even I can't do that," he complained.

"That is why I have to be a warrior!"

"Fine," he said reluctantly, "Now get off me!"

Scrambling off Wolfpaw, Rosepaw danced around him with joy. "When are we going to start training?"

"Since you are such a good warrior, why do you even need me?" he replied grudgingly.

"Come on, who is being a spoil sport now?"

"Fine, we are going to start training now." he said. Slowly, his goofy grin slid back onto his face, "But first you have to tell me how you pulled that off."

"Uhh, I just did it, I don't know how."

"Guess I'll never know how to do a back kick," He sighed with mock depression, "Now let's get down to business, show me your front jab."

_Training with Wolfpaw to become a warrior, what can be better?_

He crouched opposite her and said encouragingly, "Now, try it on me. Give me your best shot."


	7. Creativity

This one's a little short but it's not too bad. I realised that so far, all the one shots have been from Iceclan, so why not do one on Blazeclan. So far, I like to thank everyone who has reviewed, it have been a great help to me.

Anyways I've decided to change this series up a bit. Instead of me following a list of themes, why don't you guys suggest a new theme every week? It would be way cooler, just don't suggest something impossible to write about. So don't forget to include your themes for next week in your reviews. ENJOY!

**Creativity**

Leopardspot crouched in the shadows, ears pricked for any signs of movement. Despite the intense heat and the gnawing hunger in his belly, his concentration never wavered. He opened his mouth to taste the air for the fifth time today. Much to his disappointment, all he could smell was the earthy scent of the forest. _How much long can this go on? I am hungry, the apprentices are hungry, the whole clan is starving_. New-leaf was the time when there was supposed to be plenty of prey. Since when did it become a time of pain and suffering? A twitch of movement caught his attention. Quick as a snake, Leopeordspot assumed a hunting position. He focused his eyes on the robin, determined to not go back to his clan empty handed. Hoping that the robin would not notice him, he started sneaking forward, keeping his tail close to the ground. As he neared the bird, he accidentally brushed a against a bush, warning the robin.

"Fox dung!" he spat.

Leopardspot sprang forward, reaching out with his forepaws. Starclan was on his side as he managed to hook the bird with a single claw and brought it crashing down to the forest floor. Not giving it a chance to escape, he quickly killed it with a bite to the spine.

"That's a good catch." Leopardspot turned around to see Brightfur come up to him.

"Hardly worth the long wait though," he muttered around his fresh-kill that he was still holding.

"A catch is still a catch," Brightfur mewed. "We better get back to the clan, they must be hungry."

"We all are, it's a miracle that we managed to catch what we did today."

"Yeah." he agreed, "I just wish that this drought will not last any longer. It's slowly destroying the clans."

"If only Starclan can make it rain, I would be so grateful, I will even do apprentice duties for an entire moon."

"Don't tempt them," Brightfur said with a chuckle, "you never know what they would do."

"They are back!"

Sounds of the apprentices greeted them as they arrived at the camp.

"What did you catch?" Redpaw asked eagerly.

"See for yourself," Leaopardspot answered as he delivered his two fresh-kill onto the fresh-kill pile.

The fresh-kill pile looked pitifully small as it only contained six pieces of fresh-kill.

"Well done you two. Both of you deserve a break." Sunstar praised them.

"It's the most I can do." Leopardspot replied humbly, "I just don't know what else I can do in this heat."

"This heat has to end soon," Sunstar mewed hopefully, "It has been so long since the last rain that it must rain soon. Why don't you head to the river to cool off?"

"Sure, come on Brightfur." Turning around Leopardspot headed to the ice stream. It was called the ice stream as it would often freeze up in leaf bare, making a solid bridge across to Iceclan. The elders always enjoyed telling about the great battle that took place on the river itself. He skillfully navigated the numerous branches and bushes with Brightfur close behind. He have walked these paths for moons. He felt that he could navigate the entire territory with his eyes closed.

"Hey, umm.. Leopardspot."

"What is it?" he asked.

"What do you think that Iceclan cats eat?"

"What they eat?" Leopardspot asked incredulously, "How would I know?"

"I dunno, I just thought that they are faring better than us this new-leaf. Every time I see them, they all seemed to have full bellies."

It's true, Leopardspot realized. At the last gathering, all the Iceclan cats seemed very well fed, unlike the Blazeclan cats who were skin and bones.

"I guess that they eat fish," Leopardspot guessed.

"That's it!" Brightfur exclaimed, "Why don't we copy them?"

"We are Blazclan cats, not Iceclan. We eat mice and vole, not fish." Leopardspot wrinkled his nose just at the thought of eating the scaly animal, "Fish probably tastes disgusting too."

"It's not like we have much choice right? I would much rather eat fish than starve."

"I guess you're right."

"Let's just try to catch some fish and see how it goes."

When they reached the ice stream, they immediately jumped into the shallow water, enjoying the cool feeling that it brought them. Despite the amount of water it still contained, it was supposed to have twice as much water. After they had enough of the water, they climbed out, shaking themselves dry.

"Okay, how are we going to do this?" Leopardspot asked, staring at the flickering shadows of the fish that were just beneath the surface of the water.

"I dunno," Brightfur muttered, staring cluelessly at the river. "I guess you just try to grab them with your paw."

Concentrating hard, Leopardspot tried to measure the distance between him and a fish. _Here goes nothing! _Bracing himself, he unsheathed his claws and plunge his paw into the water. Despite what he thought was a good strike, his paw somehow managed to curve when it hit the water.

"Hey!" Brightfur complained, "You scared away my fish. I was just about to get it too."

"Sorry," he mewed, "It's not easy as it looks. The water somehow bends your paw."

"Bends your paw?" Brightfur looked as him as if he was mouse-brained.

"Look!" Dipping his paw into the water, it seemed that it was bent strangely at the point at where it entered the water.

"Big deal, we just have to aim higher than the fish when we strike."

Despite their new strategy, they somehow only managed to get two fish each.

"This is not going to work!" Leopardspot exclaimed, frustrated after another failed attempt. "There has to be another way."

"Hmm, you think about that, I'm just going to rest a bit."

_Think Leopardspot! There has to be another way. I know that the Iceclan cats sometimes swim after them but neither of us can swim very well. _Looking up at the sky, Leopardspot sent out a silent prayer to Starclan. _ Please show us how to do this. If we succeed, the clan might not have to suffer anymore._

As Brightfur sat lazily in the shade he muttered wistfully, "If only the stupid fish would come to me, then I can scoop them out in huge numbers."

"That's it!" Leopardspot exclaimed. _Why didn't I think of this before. _"I got an idea."

"What is it?" Brightfur asked doubtfully.

"Stand in the water over there," he instructed, "Don't move, and when the fish goes towards you, scoop them out on to the shore."

"Okay... but how are you gonna get them to come to me? Are you gonna ask Starclan for help?" Brightfur meowed playfully.

"No, but I can do this." At the end of his sentence, Leoparspot jumped in the other side of the stream. At once, all the fish swam to the other side, where Brightfur was standing. The first few fish swam right past him, but as he got used to it, he started scooping fish out of the water. Leopardspot them killed them each on the shore by biting it on the head. By the time the fish were all gone, they had tons of fish on the beech. Leopardspot looked proudly at his kills, glad that it worked.

"It actually worked," Brightfur said, astounded.

"Well, I guess we won't have to worry about fresh-kills anymore."


	8. Flashes

**Flashes**

The pain. The terrible pain. Lionstar fought back the unending waves of pain as it crashed down upon him. _How could this have happened? _Lionstar flinched as another wave of pain hit him in his chest. All the while, his vision was ever so slightly fading away. He knew that there was no way that Petalheart would be able to save him. And that this was the last moment of his life.

"Lionstar!"

Lionstar didn't need to see the cat to know who it was.

"Russetpaw..." Lionstar managed to croak before being overwhelmed by a coughing fit.

"Lionstar! You're hurt!"

Seeing his apprentice, Lionstar couldn't help but feel liked he failed him.

"I'm sorry," Lionstar whispered.

"For what?" Russetpaw cried frantically, "I'm going to get Petalheart!"

"No. It's too late. I'm going to lose my life."

"Well, you'll need Petalheart after you lose your life. Having a few extra lives doesn't make you immortal."

"You are right, it doesn't."

Lionstar watched as his apprentice's eyes grew wide as realization dawned on him.

"This is your last life, isn't it." He asked, horrified.

Lionstar nodded, barely having enough energy to move.

"No! This can't be true!"

"It is. Nothing can last forever." Lionstar coughed and managed to crack a small grin, "Especially me."

"Please... don't leave me!" Russetpaw cried, burying his head head into Lionstar's long fur...

_Lionstar padded back towards camp, jaw full of prey. It's not everyday that he got such good hunting. Starclan was definitely on his side today. Lionstar missed those times, when he could go hunting with Rushtail without a care in the world. Able to enjoy a day of hunting without having to send out patrols instead be on a patrol. But as lonely as the path of a leader was, the loyalty and respect that he gets from his clanmates makes it all worth it. As he walked through the two stone walls, he heard a loud shriek come from the camp. Hearing this, Lionstar rushed into camp, wondering what had gone wrong. _

"_What happened?" Lionstar demanded as he dropped his fresh-kill at the camp entrance._

"_It's Robinwing, she just..." Rushtail drifted of, not wanting to deliver the grim news._

"_She's dead." Tawnypelt stated bluntly from across the camp. _

_Lionstar rushed to the nursery, managing to push aside all the cats in front of the entrance. _

"_Petalheart!" Lionstar called, "is it true?"_

_Amid all the confusion and chaos, Lionstar could detect the sounds of a newborn kitten._

"_Yes," Petalheart looked up from the kit. She looked like she haven't slept in days, with her fur all matted and dull eyes. "She died giving birth to this kit." _

_Lionstar felt his heart his heart wrench as he realized what his meant. It meant that this kit was an orphan. His father had died nobly a season ago, in a fight against Iceclan. A fight that he himself have led. Lionstar felt a twinge of guilt and responsibility. It was his fault that this kit does not have a father. And now that it has lost its mother, it is completely alone in the world. He padded closer to the kit and licked it to keep it warm. _

"_Does it have a name?"_

"_His name is Russetkit," Petalheart murmured solemnly._

"_Russetkit," Lionstar breathed, "I promise you, you will never be alone."_

Lionstar shook his head, trying to clear the memory from his head.

"Russetpaw," Lionstar murmured, "I am so proud of you. You will make a great warrior someday. Maybe even a great leader."

"I can, but not without you!"

"You have to let go. You'll do fine."

Russetpaw looked up, eyes watering, into his eyes. The look in his eyes was so different from when...

"_Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the ledge for a clan meeting." _

_Lionstar could barely suppress his pride when he saw the clan, **his **clan, gather beneath the ledge. From on top of the ledge, Lionstar saw Russetkit walk nervously into the clearing beneath him. He could see that Russetkit's paws were shaking with excitement. It has been a long time since Lionstar have felt the excitement that Russetkit was experiencing. After giving some time for the clan to settle down, Lionstar opened his mouth and said, "As you know, Russetkit have just reached six moons old, and it is now time for him to be apprenticed."_

_Beneath him, Lionstar could feel the joy radiating from Russetkit below. _

"_From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be know as Russetpaw." Lionstar took a breath as he prepared to say what he had planned._

"_I will be your mentor."_

_Lionstar heard a gasp of astonishment from his clanmates below. He could also see the shock in his future apprentice's eyes. _

"_I hope that I will, in turn, be able to pass on everything I have learnt from Addertongue to you."_

_Lionstar leaped down from the ledge, landing neatly near Russetpaw. Beckoning with his tail, he signaled to Russetpaw to touch noses with him. _

"_I hope that we will make a good team," Lionstar whispered to Russetpaw._

"_Me too," Russetpaw replied. _

_As they withdrew from each other, he heard the clan chant, "Russetpaw, Russetpaw, Russetpaw."_

_After the ceremony have ended, he managed to hear Russetpaw's denmates whisper to him, "You're so lucky! I wish Lionstar is my mentor!" _

"I'm sorry!"

Lionstar opened his eyes once again, meeting Russetpaw's bright green eyes.

"What for?"

"For being sure a bad apprentice!"

"Bad? Compared to me, you might as well have been an apprentice sent from Starclan." Lionstar said.

"Huh." Russetpaw half chuckled half sobbed.

"_Lionstar."_

"Adderfang?"

"It is time for you to join me."

Lionstar peered through his darkening vision. He could barely see the trees anymore. Looking past Russetpaw, he saw Adderfang standing next to a pine tree.

"I failed you." Lionstar could feel a bunch of emotions threatening to spill out of him.

"No. Look back, you have done what many other cats could not have done and more..."

"_Iceclan! Listen to me!" Lionstar hiss fustratedly. "Do you want this to be the end of the clans?"_

_He heard the two clans below his murmur among themselves. Lionstar was well aware that this have never happened at a gathering before. _

"_What if I decline?" Riverstar answered._

"_Why can't you see this?" Lionstar mewed, getting anxious, "If we don't work together, this might be the end of both clans. They will tear us to pieces. We won't stand a chance."_

"_Are you saying that we are weak?" Riverstar said with a glint in her eyes. "There are only about ten dogs. We can outnumber and outmatch them easily. We do not even need your help."_

"_No, that was not what I meant. Anyways, we do not know the exact number of the dogs. All we know is that we have seen about ten of them. One dog can take on about three cats easily. Do you have thirty cats in your clan? If not, I advise that you reconsider."_

_Iceclan murmured uneasily among themselves as they hear him. He could see Riverstar's eyes narrow as she thought out the idea. At last, as the moon was starting to wane, Riverstar spoke, "If I agree, who would lead the clan? Will it be you."_

"_No. You can lead the clans."_

_Lionstar heard a gasp in the cats as they heard his decision. _

"_There can't be more than two leaders in one clan or else we will constantly be arguing. And since you are more experienced then me, it is only right that you lead the clan."_

"_Are you sure?" Riverstar asked._

"_Yes." Lionstar replied._

"_So be it."_

"But it wasn't even me who led the clans when we defeated the dogs."

"No, but you sacrificed your pride in order to save the clans. It takes a great amount of courage to do what you have done."

"Yes but..."

"Stop arguing, Lionstar." Adderfang said gently, "If your are still not convinced, just take a look at Russetpaw."

Lionstar looked at Russetpaw who was still bent over him. He seemed oblivious to conversation that was taking place right next to him.

"Look carefully," Adderfang repeated, "The cat who you are looking at is going to be the greatest leader in all of clan history."

"Really?" It was hard to imagine that the kit he had raised was going to be a great leader.

Lionstar licked Russetpaw on the head, and mewed softly, "I will always be watching you from Silverpelt. I will miss you, but you must be strong. For me and for your parents. You are destined for great things."

Looking back up, Lionstar whispered, "I'm ready, let's go."

**Hope you enjoyed this. If you didn't know, Russetpaw is Russetclaw. Anyways, remember to leave a theme for next week in your reviews. Please review!  
><strong>


	9. Old Bonds

**Sorry for not writing one of these for such a long time. I was really busy. In fact, i'm still really busy. So here's a new one for you guys. I apologize for it being so short but that's the best I can do. Please continue sending in your requests for themes and keep reviewing. Thanks!**

**Old Bonds **

Dovewing stared gloomily at her fresh-kill. What was wrong with her? She should be happy. She had finally stopped the entire relationship between her and Tigerheart. She told that traitor that she didn't want to see him anymore, that he was just another cat to her now. But then she remembered the sorrow in his eyes. The way that he pleaded with his eyes for her to forgive him. To ask her to forget everything that he had said, to just start all over again. When she refused, she remembered her heart ache as Tigerheart hung his head with sorrow. _It was not all my fault. I had no choice. I did it for the good of both are clans. It was the right thing to do._

Dovewing sighed and took a bite out of her thrush. Desperate for some distraction from her thoughts, she cast her senses out into the forest. Jayfeather was collecting cat mint near the twoleg place while Lionblaze was out hunting. Curious, Dovewing searched for her sister. They haven't talked lately and it has been worrying her lately. Without knowing it, her senses have wondered towards the Shadowclan border. _No! It is over. I shouldn't abuse my power. If I do, I'll end up just like Tigerstar, a monster._ Despite trying to ignore it, she couldn't help but that a quick look at Shadowclan. Everything looked normal in Shadowclan. Cats were enjoying themselves in the sun, sharing tongues while some of the cats were out hunting. _Where is he?_

Searching for Tigerheart was almost impossible. It was just like trying to find one mice in a huge bale of hay. It just wasn't possible. But just as she was thinking about that, Tigerheart entered the Shadowclan camp. It was as if Starclan themselves wanted to mock her for their forbidden relationship. _What was a forbidden relationship. _She reminded herself. _Not anymore. _

At first glance, Tigerheart seemed to be the same cat. The same dark brown fur and amber eyes. But as she continued to observe him, she realized that there were minor changes to his behavior. He was being rudder to his clanmates and his shoulders were slumped over, almost like he has given up. Dovewing felt like her heart was being torn into pieces. She missed the days when she was with Tigerheart. When she felt like nothing could go wrong just because Tigerheart said that he would protect her.

"Dovewing, what are you doing?"

She looked up to see her sister staring at her quizzically.

"You were staring at the medicine cat den. Are you feeling alright?" Ivypool asked.

"Yeah, I'm alright."

"You must be worried about Tigerheart. You seemed really upset after that gathering. Something happened right?"

Surprised that her sister knew so much, Dovewing involuntarily nodded.

"Well let me tell you something. Tigerheart is feeling very upset but he is doing alright."

"How do you know?" Dovewing asked.

"Just trust me."

Ivypool got up and padded away. But as her sister left, Dovewing could not help but pick up a familiar scent. Shaking her head, Dovewing tried to clear up her mind. There was no way that she could have smelled Tigerheart. It was probably just her immagination.

The forest seemed gloomier every time he arrived there. The sky seemed darker, not that he could actually see the sky. It just felt worst.

"Concentrate!"

Tigerheart flinched as Hawkfrost lashed out at him with his massive paw. What was wrong with him. He had to concentrate. He knew that it would not be good to get on the bad side of Hawkfrost. When finally they were given a chance to catch their breath, Ivypool padded over to him with worried eyes.

"What are you doing? You're usually good at things like this. Why are you so bad?" Ivypool hissed.

"I don't know." He confessed, "Ever since the gathering, I have been feeling so bad."

Ivypool's eyes hardened. "You should never have gone after Dovewing. She's from Thunderclan!"

Tigerheart's tail drooped even lower. It was his fault he should never have told his clan about the herbs.

"But if you must know, Dovewing is very worried about you." A hint of worry entered Ivypool's voice, "Can you talk to her? If she continues like this, she might have to go back to doing apprentice duties."

Tigerheart's mood lightened a bit. _Dovewing still cares!_

"Now let's get back to training before Hawkfrost punishes us."


End file.
